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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25988497">Falling</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpringZephyr/pseuds/SpringZephyr'>SpringZephyr</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Inazuma Eleven: Ares no Tenbin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crush at First Sight, Feelings Realization, Goujin Tetsunosuke (background), Kirina Hiura is Bad at Feelings, Mansaku Yuuichirou (background), Mansaku kinda gives love advice, Multi, Nosaka says NO I WON'T SIT DOWN, Pining, Possibly Unrequited Love, for at least two people</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:22:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,555</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25988497</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpringZephyr/pseuds/SpringZephyr</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“He's pushing himself too hard.”</p>
<p>“I'll go check on him,” Kirina tells her, for peace of mind.</p>
<p>Something in his gut nags at him, says that he's not doing this only for Anna, because Nosaka has caught his attention too, but he pushes those thoughts down. Those feelings are baseless. He hasn't said two words to Nosaka.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hiura Kirina &amp; Nosaka Yuuma, Mikado Anna &amp; Nosaka Yuuma, Nishikage Seiya &amp; Nosaka Yuuma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Falling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnderdogHero/gifts">UnderdogHero</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I was awake at seven in the morning writing this, and I was supposed to get up at nine... That's how insomnia works, I suppose.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Kirina.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anna looks scared.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Although they both have a reputation for being cool-headed, Anna is the one Kirina regards as icy. Between the two of them, she is the less expressive, the one more likely to take control and calm the others down when something goes wrong. The one who can do anything from patching up Goujin's post-game injuries to helping Asuto comprehend his homework without so much as batting an eyelash, never betraying her feelings aside from the occasional snarky comment or look of annoyance. She has a fanclub, and all of its members are in love with her solely based on the fact that she's never given them a reason to believe otherwise.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But right now, looking at this girl who's normally scowling or staring down at someone with her arms crossed, the girl with downcast eyes who can't even manage to look at him, Kirina realizes how wrong he was. Shocked, Kirina can't find the words he needs to say quickly enough.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Something comforting.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He just can't think of it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Perhaps because Anna is a stronger person than he is after all, she takes a step forward, so close that her hair is brushing his shoulder, and tries to speak again. If it were anyone else, Kirina might offer them a hug. Asuto likes hugs. So does Norika. If this were Iwato or Goujin or Mansaku or almost anyone else on his team, anyone except Anna, he would recognize their closeness for what it was – an invitation to hug, even though Kirina himself isn't normally prone to them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I'm scared,” she says.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>These are facts that he already knew, but now Kirina is a little scared too, hearing the words said out loud.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He's pushing himself too hard.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Who...?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It takes a moment before his brain catches up, but it does so quickly, the name appearing in his mind before Anna can say it. <em>Nosaka</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That kid with the rosy hair from Outei. The one everyone calls a genius. The one who, Anna is telling him now, almost collapsed on the field at the same time Inakuni was playing in their match. She says she saw a video of it – he's not sure where, maybe she was streaming Nosaka's match on her phone? – but Outei is going into overtime against their opponent and Nosaka is refusing to sit on the bench, and now she's muttering <em>he's pale, he looks so pale and weak</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I'll go check on him,” Kirina tells her, for peace of mind.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Something in his gut nags at him, says that he's not doing this only for Anna, because Nosaka has caught his attention too, but he pushes those thoughts down. Those feelings are baseless. He hasn't said two words to Nosaka.<br/><br/>“Thank you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Tell Asuto... Tell Asuto that <span>I'm calling Grandma.</span>”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I'll there later,” Anna promises, dragging the back of her hand across her eyes. “I-I don't want him to s-see me like this.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You don't want him to see that you're worried,” Kirina affirms with a nod. That feeling in his gut is growing heavier. “Don't worry. If I run, I'll be able to catch him at the other field.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>True to his expectations, someone yells at them as he's leaving. It's Goujin, not Asuto. He starts out by saying “are you loverbirds – ” and quickly changes to “Kirina, what did you do?!” as soon as he notices Anna's tear-streaked face. Kirina can't help her now. The whole team is going to be swarming around Anna, offering hugs and condolences and trying to figure out what happened, and it's up to Anna to decide whether or not she wants to tell them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>X</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Even though Kirina is tired already from running, he keeps his promise and runs all the way to the other stadium. It's not that far away. About ten minutes, and that's with his lungs and his legs catching fire and fatigue slowing him down. The timing is perfect, however, because Outei should have finished their match by now, but won't have had enough time to pack up their things and get on the bus that will take them back to their hotel.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He finds Nosaka immediately. Calls out to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nosaka's head jerks up at the sound, but he instantly looks like he regrets moving that quickly. And Anna was right about him looking pale. <em>Ghostly</em> is the only word Kirina can think of to describe it. His coach should not have let him stay on the field.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Kirina approaches, it's with the resolve of somebody who's all of a sudden forgotten what they were supposed to be doing. Maybe he'd never known. He'd felt Anna's concern and a twinge of his own, he'd agreed to come over here – but there's a chance Kirina had never really known what he was doing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Nosaka,” he says again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The name is heavy on his tongue, and Kirina wants to tell him to go sit down, get something to drink, go to the hospital, do anything other than continue playing soccer right now. But unlike grandma, he gets the impression Nosaka is never going to listen to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you all right?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Kirina, right?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kirina is surprised that this rosy-haired genius knows his name. Surprised again when Outei's goalkeeper, this kid who is tall and muscular and probably twice Kirina's size, steps in front of his line of sight and says in no uncertain terms, “Whatever business you have with Nosaka, he doesn't have time for it right now.”<br/><br/></p>
<p>At first glance, the goalkeeper kid, Nishikage, wouldn't have seemed like the aggressive type. Everyone has their line, Kirina supposes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><span>Curse it,</span></em> Kirina thinks, because he doesn't know for certain, but after a certain talk he had with Mansaku the other night, he suspects it:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nosaka Yuma has quite the fanclub of his own.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It shouldn't bother Kirina. It's shallow. And he's here for more important reasons, namely the assurance that another human being roughly the same age as he and Anna isn't pushing himself too far, but he can't get the thought out of his head. He hadn't even thought about his own feelings toward Nosaka until he talked about it with Mansaku a little, and Mansaku had said “that sounds a little bit like puppy love” and shut down every argument Kirina had made about how he <em>didn't even know the guy</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You can crush on people without knowing them.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mansaku, apparently, was no stranger to the idea of crushing on someone based on just their looks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But Kirina is, and the fact that he's battling his feelings at the same time he's supposed to be doing something else leaves him quite conflicted indeed. It was shallow. The exact kind of thing Kirina's grandmother told him not to do, yet here he was – his heart in his throat because Nosaka was pretty.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Don't mind him,” Nosaka says.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nishikage looks both shocked and a little hurt. “Nosaka, you need to rest...!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I'm resting right now, aren't I?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Considering Kirina had ran all the way here to check on Nosaka and then tell him basically the same thing, he's not quite sure how to handle this situation either. There's slightly less of an edge to Nosaka's voice when he continues, “Give us a moment, Nishikage.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Because this feels like the right thing to do, Kirina also speaks up, “I promise this won't take long.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nishikage watches reluctantly, his eyes lingering and full of something like concern and also one other thing, something that's a little more.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Anna wants to know he's all right.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At the mention of Anna's name, Nosaka's head tilts up again and Nishikage's shoulders straighten. One, Kirina thinks, is for a good reason and the other not so much.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As much as he didn't want to believe Mansaku's theory, the evidence was there. The pieces were falling into place. If it wasn't something he felt personally, Kirina would've forgotten about it already, as he was prone to doing with all the little tidbits of information his teammates dropped on him that he didn't view as particularly interesting or relevant.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you all right?” Kirina asks again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They're alone, at least enough that Kirina can pretend he doesn't feel the eyes of all of Nosaka's teammates on his back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nosaka stands and smiles, like he's prepared to convince Kirina to believe the words he's about to say, “Perfectly! Never been better!” except he doesn't finish them. He gets to the first syllable of “better”, and then his eyes roll up and he starts to tumble forward, shrinking in a way that Kirina should've predicted. He doesn't hit the ground, thankfully, because Kirina is there to catch him – but his forehead does hit Kirina's shoulder, and the weight in Kirina's arms is all dead weight, at least for a moment. He can hear the sounds of Nosaka's ragged breaths even while Nishikage yells “Nosaka!” and runs back toward them. The rest of the team doesn't follow, but Kirina doesn't waste time thinking about how strange that is.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He's just trying not to let his own fear show.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kirina owes at least that to Anna, who trusted him with her feelings without a hint of his own. His stomach swirls, and it doesn't feel any better than the lump that had been residing there previously.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Okay.” Nosaka is a little more alive now than he was a moment ago. He's gripping Kirina's sleeves, using his shirt as leverage to try and pull himself back up. “Maybe not perfect.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Get him on the bench,” Nishikage instructs, although when he tries to follow his own suggestion, Nosaka swats him away, weakly. “Why are you so stubborn...?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nobody answers poor Nishikage, who decides that if Nosaka refuses to sit down, the least he can do is drink some water. Nosaka looks at Nishikage, who is searching the bench, swearing that somebody had forgotten a water bottle around here somewhere, and then he meets Kirina's eyes. “You have beautiful eyes.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The words are feverish and slurred. It's not a confession, Kirina tells himself, so he doesn't offer a verbal response, even though his heart jumps a little bit. This doesn't mean anything, the same way Asuto mumbling about time traveling and aliens when he's sick doesn't mean anything.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nishikage guides the lump of weight currently known as Nosaka off of him, holds the water bottle in place while Nosaka takes a long drink. It's probably warm. There's not much left after playing a lengthy match. And Kirina has always had a strong desire to help people, even people who don't unwittingly knit scarves out of the tangled threads of his emotions – watching Nosaka struggle to do something so basic without assistance leads him to thinking, once again, that maybe Mansaku had a point after all.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The scene in front of him rends his heart, but in a different way than if it were one of his friends. And the way Nishikage looks at him, vulnerable and clueless and practically begging Kirina to come up with some magic cure, only makes things worse.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That moment is lost as Anna's voice rings out “Nosaka!” and she makes her way over to them, face flushed and sweaty because she's not used to running. Because she scrubbed away any evidence that she'd been crying before coming over here. “Nosaka,” she says again, more sternly this time, and Nishikage's expression once again becomes more guarded the closer she gets, “You told me you'd sit this match out if things got worse!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The boy in question laughs, gently, and Kirina knows already that he doesn't seem like the type to take such obvious advice. “I'm sorry I worried you, Anna.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Worried me? Honestly, it's like you're trying to make me sick...!” Anna cuts herself off, looking simultaneously ashamed and horrified at her own choice of words. “I mean – you're the one who's sick, so... Why don't you ever...”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It's all right,” Nosaka continues with his gentle reassurances, except they don't work on Kirina or Nishikage, who've already seen what happened the last time Nosaka tried to insist he was <em>all right</em>. They exchange worried glances, but ultimately, some of the color has returned to Nosaka's face, so maybe he is all right after all. For the moment, at least.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anna bites her lip, looking uncertain.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I only have one match left to play after this,” Nosaka looks at Anna, then Kirina, “and I promise, I'll be all right throughout it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The match against Inakuni.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As much as Kirina wants to join Anna, in looking as small and uncertain as possible, he forces himself to nod instead. Because he also plays soccer, there's a part of him that understands Nosaka's drive – he wants to play no matter what, even if it causes his health to take a turn for the worse again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Don't go easy on me,” Nosaka says sternly, confirming what Kirina is thinking, “just because I'm sick.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Likewise,” Kirina says. His throat is dry, although having Anna nearby helps, somewhat, for reasons he can't explain. “Just because everyone else still thinks we're country bumpkins.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The coach, for whatever reason, decides now is the right time to finally break up the crowd that's been slowly gathering around his star player. He doesn't make a move toward them, just calls from the other side of the field, “Nosaka, pack it up! You can sign autographs later!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It's almost time for your medicine,” Nishikage whispers in addition, although Kirina's hearing is pretty sharp, so he's still able to hear it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Fine, fine.” Nosaka makes a show of waving them all off nonchalantly, but probably even he could agree it would be best if he sat down for a while. Maybe take a nap as soon as he gets on that bus, or once he's back at the hotel or the hospital or whatever he's going and has had his medicine. “Catch you later, Anna.”<br/><br/>He ambles away, with Nishikage's arm around him for support.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh, and Kirina,” he tosses a look over his shoulder, almost as an afterthought, “I'll look forward to meeting you again also.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nosaka shoots Kirina a smile that leaves him standing straighter, and temporarily forgetting that Anna is still next to him. By the time it occurs to him that he should smile back, Nosaka is already looking forward again. He laughs playfully when Nishikage says something to him about ordering take out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Do you really think he's okay?” Anna asks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The cool and composed look he's come to expect is back in place, although now he can see the cracks in Anna's ice. He wonders why Anna confided in him, out of their entire team – and he thinks maybe it was because she had thought the same thing about him, that he was the one always in control and with all of the answers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If his theory was correct, Anna couldn't have been more wrong.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They make their way back to their own bus, their own hotel, and Kirina spends the rest of the night wondering what would happen to Anna if she knew Nosaka had called him beautiful. If he'd imagined that spark when it had happened, or if Nosaka had felt it too.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If Mansaku, with his ocean of knowledge about love and romance, would be able to answer any of those questions.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alternate explanation for Nosaka turning down Anna's confession at the end of Ares and barely talking to her during Orion: he somehow has feelings for the pretty blue-haired boy he just met.</p>
<p>This is part of a fic trade with UnderdogHero. She sent me the first image in this thread https://twitter.com/Lrc_kH/status/1012744528908832769 (the second pic is kinda NSFW, be aware) with no context, and I wrote a story around it. Then I had to track down the source image so I could link it on Ao3 for reference. I... Yes, I feel very awkward linking that image in a fic that is a soft Teen rating at most. No offense to those who disagree, but mature Inazuma is not my thing. &gt;_&gt;;;</p>
<p>(Hero would like to mention that she also had no idea those two pics were related.)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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